Raikou · Vivid Voltage, what to know.
About the Raikou card
Raikou is card 50 of 203 in Vivid Voltage, released in November 2020, an Amazing Rare. It is a Basic Lightning-type with 110 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Raikou needs no prior evolution to put into play, which made it a practical card in the era's decks.
Illustrated by Hideki Ishikawa.
The Pokédex entry printed on Raikou reads: "This rough Pokémon stores energy inside its body, then sweeps across the land, shooting off electricity."
About Raikou in the Pokémon world
An Electric Legendary. One of the three Legendary Beasts of Johto. Neo Revelation holo Raikou is the electric Legendary Beast chase.
What is Raikou worth?
Raikou is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Vivid Voltage's value. The rarity tier decides most of it, since the same card prints at several tiers with very different prices. In top-grade 1st Edition, Vivid Voltage holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to the set's marquee chase; raw and Unlimited copies trade for a fraction of that. The live market price above shows the current figure by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Confirm the print and finish on Raikou before pricing it, since variant and rarity set the market more than the card name alone.
Grading and condition
Expect the holo window to set the grade on Raikou. Print misregistration and fine scratches in the lightning foil are the usual reasons a copy lands at a 9, and edge whitening against the frame is the next thing a grader notes.
If you are collecting Raikou
If you are buying Raikou, work in order: confirm the print variant first, then the grade, then price against recent sales for that exact variant and grade. Price the Raikou against the population report, since modern holo supply is large.
